This week in The Times: David Painter

Vitals: David Painter, 34, is originally from Bozeman, Mont. He moved to Rockford in 1993 and works as a remodelling contractor. In his spare time, Painter enjoys spending time with his two children and watching football.

1. If you could choose any elected official – local, state or national – to speak with one-on-one, who would it be and what would you say? I’d speak with President Barack Obama (D). I’d love to ask him about all the changes he promised to make in his campaign, and why he has yet to follow through on many of those promises. I know it’s early in his presidency, but he hasn’t had the impact it seemed he would have.

2. If you were to move away from the Rock River Valley, what three things would you miss the most? I’d miss my friends, the landscape, and believe it or not, our winters filled with snow and freezing temperatures.

3. How did you survive Christmas? Luckily for me, my parents came in from out of town. I leaned on them pretty heavily for help with last-minute gift-wrapping and making Christmas dinner. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without their help.

4. What New Year’s resolutions are you considering for 2010? My most important resolution is to quit smoking. I’ve been a smoker for 15 years, and the time has come for me to quit. I want to do it for my kids mostly, but I also want to do it for myself. I’m also going to try to eat better and get more exercise.

5. Question from last week’s “This week in The Times” participant, Santa Claus: What was your favorite gift you received this Christmas? Without a doubt, my favorite gift was the photo album my kids put together for me. It was full of pictures of us, and I plan on keeping it forever.

“This week in The Times” is a weekly survey of people selected by The Rock River Times staff. The column does not accept unsolicited submissions.